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Aristotle vs Platonist

Aristotle and Plato were two men with different theories. Although they had some aspects in common, each had their understandings and meanings. Here I will explain what were their beliefs and how these philosophers interpreted each word with its true value. Also with the information, I will try to undercover the meaning of why people used to say people were born either as a Platonist or as a Aristotelian. Between these two philosophers their were differences of character, temperament, background, and mental attitude. Their philosophic belief on the other hand was similar in words but not in action. Let us see why and what am I referring to (Grube). Also, let us choose if we are a Aristotelian or a Platonist and why they say people were born this or that. Virtue is a word that both used to use in their philosophic belief, but, as I said before, the actions were different. To begin with, Aristotle's used to describe this word to a action that they have might not even have had the opportunity to chose themselves when they were young. In the norms, help by teachers, parents, and even the government; the development of proper habits was to be made from each persons childhood. This would eventually lead to a better community and for that, better and educated environment. Not only would an adult with this sense of virtue like this be wise to use courage, friendship, justice and other characteristics developed during childhood in a proper way but that is what is required to be good and act when adults. The help is what makes you better when educated young in childhood (Wiki). As mentioned before, Aristotle has different theories than Plato. He suggests that the forms can be discovered through a examination of the world being natural. Now, Plato believes that forms are farther than what humans can understand, it is way beyond. What Platonist ethics is all about is the Form of the Good. For him, virtue is knowledge. The soul, being divided in three parts, which are...

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...Plato vs. Aristotle
Plato and Aristotle, two philosophers in the 4th century, hold polar
views on politics and philosophy in general. This fact is very cleverly
illustrated by Raphael's "School of Athens" (1510-11; Stanza della Segnatura,
Vatican), where Plato is portrayed looking up to the higher forms; and Aristotle
is pointing down because he supports the natural sciences. In a discussion of
politics, the stand point of each philosopher becomes an essential factor. It
is not coincidental that Plato states in The Republic that Philosopher Rulers
who possess knowledge of the good should be the governors in a city state. His
strong interest in metaphysics is demonstrated in The Republic various times:
for example, the similes of the cave, the sun, and the line, and his theory of
the forms. Because he is so involved in metaphysics, his views on politics are
more theoretical as opposed to actual. Aristotle, contrarily, holds the view
that politics is the art of ruling and being ruled in turn. In The Politics,
he attempts to outline a way of governing that would be ideal for an actual
state. Balance is a main word in discussing Aristotle because he believes it is
the necessary element to creating a stable government. His less metaphysical
approach to politics makes Aristotle more in tune with the modern world, yet he
is far from modern.
Plato's concept of what...

...Greece, Aristotle’s father was a court physician to the king of Macedon where Aristotle himself would be requested by King Philip II to tutor his son Alexander (who grew up to become “Alexander the Great”). Aristotle, one of the most influential thinkers in philosophy including political theory is also known as the legendary Greek philosopher, logician, scientist, and student of Plato. Aristotle studied in Plato's Academy in Athens. Plato being the student of Socrates and also known as the father of political theory helped educate and shape the mind of young Aristotle who then became known as the first political scientist. It was the diverse atmosphere in which Aristotle was raised, along with his education and then his many travels that gave him the depth of being able to experience and see the good and the faults in the world.
Aristotle saw philosophy within the physical world. He believed that our truths came from physically breaking down systems and examining them to understand them. He had experience with traveling and seeing different world regimes. Aristotle believed one had to break things down empirically and scientifically. Thus gaining his title of political scientist who used scientific methods to analyze and conclude his beliefs, thoughts, and opinions. Aristotle believed that one must think critically and rationally using inductive reason...

... Both Plato and Aristotle are extremely famous and credible philosophers who have very different views on this idea of Forms and the concept of knowledge. Plato first introduces this Theory of Forms, where he recognizes Forms to be the one source to all of knowledge. He describes and explains this theory in many of his works including Phaedo and the allegory of the cave. Then Aristotle criticizes and challenges this idea in his work, Nicomachean Ethics. While both philosophers have extremely persuasive arguments with plenty of details and examples supporting their beliefs, after reading about and comparing both sides of the dispute, I am more on Aristotle’s side.
Plato asserts that the study of forms is the only way to receive genuine knowledge. In Phaedo, Plato introduces an argument called the Theory of Recollection. In this theory he says, “for us learning is no other than recollection” (72e). In other words, he means that we all have knowledge of these Forms from even before we are born, and as we are going through the process of learning, we recollect and get to know that knowledge again. In addition, the main point of this theory is that the interactions we have with things in this world do not provide us with knowledge, but simply leads us to the knowledge of the Forms, which is the only real and genuine knowledge that we can obtain.
This idea of the Forms being the greatest underlying source to knowledge is also supported by the...

...literary theory ought to be measure equally against each other as both having provided original methodologies for the critique and education of literature. Plato’s Apology is an example of his proposed ideal form of prose, showing Socrates to be speaking from logos (logic) as opposed to the former Greek poet’s employment of catharsis as the prime vessel for literature’s performance. The poetry of his time, claims Plato, is lacking in reason and relevance. Being then an oral art, it reflected the mere imitation of emotion and was thus an improper educator of the people. Aristotle was Plato’s most valued pupil, as such, much if not most of his work in the Poetics draws crucial inferences from Plato. Aristotle breaks from the historically linear progression of thoughts passed down from teacher to student on the topic of emotional value in writing and its impending effect on poetry’s ability to educate. Catharsis, Aristotle would say, should not be a hindrance on the rationality of a poetic work’s message, but rather an integral part of understanding and applying that message to the self.
At the time that Plato was writing, poetry was the primary educator of Greece. This is because of its accessibility, the majority of Greek citizens were illiterate and it was generally performed. Being so, Plato claims the validity of its message is compromised. Any lesson that may be learned from the historical basis of the plot (as in Homers...

...By Gerard Chretien
Plato vs. Aristotle
Numerous experts in modern time regard Plato as the first genuine political philosopher and Aristotle as the first political scientist. They were both great thinkers in regards to, in part with Socrates, being the foundation of the great western philosophers. Plato and Aristotle each had ideas in how to proceed with improving the society in which they were part of during their existence. It is necessary therefore to analyze their different theoretical approaches regarding their philosophical perspectives, such as ethics and psychology. This paper however will mainly concentrate on Aristotle's views on friendship and how it impacts today's society.
The main objective in Plato's philosophy is a creation of a perfect society. He constructs a foundation for a utopian society in his book "The Republic". The purpose of his thought process was to cleanse his society of the woes he felt plagued it and construct a new one.
Plato lived during the Peloponnesian War, which consequently lead to the end of the Athenian democracy. He had eyewitness account of his mentor's (Socrates) trial and execution. Bitter and angered by the political corruption that gripped the Athenian democratic government, he disengaged from participating in politics. He strongly felt that neither a moral individual nor a state that is rational could be established in a democratic environment....

...Aristotlevs. Hobbes, constitutes a debate between two great thinkers from two profoundly different periods of time. Whereas Aristotle (384 - 322 BCE) had been a part of the Greek's and more precisely, Athens's Golden Age, Thomas Hobbes (1588 - 1679) had lived through the English Civil War of 1640s to become one of the most influential philosophers. Based on their own personal experiences and surroundings, both Aristotle and Hobbes had developed a view of what human equality should sustain. However, Hobbes' understanding of natural equality is preferable, as he provides society with the extra room for equality and opportunity that the subjects of a good sovereign would experience to be available to them, in comparison to Aristotle's hierarchical division of people into natural superiors, inferiors and slaves, who are given very limited achievements and opportunities.
Aristotle's idea of equality would have applied to all citizens who participate in the political life of the city-state in which they live. By doing so, they would have acquired the human virtues and excellences, as well as achieve their natural telos as a "political animal" (Aristotle, p. 4). Only within a city-state, citizens are able to participate and enhance their political and practical reason, thus reach their human telos. As such, the city-state is "among the things that exist by nature" (Aristotle, p. 4), and living...

...Two of the greatest and earliest thinkers of our time are Plato, and his most famous pupil, Aristotle. Soon after Plato’s teachings, Aristotle criticized his claims and independently became a thinker on his own. These philosophers viewed metaphysics differently, and they approached the idea of reality in two opposing ways. Plato’s Theory of Forms was a concept that was defined in a different way by Aristotle. They both believed in “forms” but approached this idea differently.
Plato felt that there are two different levels of reality compared to Aristotle who felt that there was only one level of reality. Plato’s way of thinking always came from ideas from within that were applied to the outside world as opposed to Aristotle whose ideas came from the outside world and then were applied within. These contrast ideas were a result in Aristotle believing that there is one level of reality. He believed that there was only one world, and that forms existed in particular things. Aristotle felt that everything was matter, and certain kinds of matter were composed into different things. He believed that form did not have a separate existence, but existed in matter. Plato, however, believed that there were two levels of reality. Physical and mental were two different things in his eyes. Physical is what is real and you can see and/or touch, and mental is what seems to be real but...

...Affirmative essay
Aristotle and Socrates and Plato’s beliefs have similarities mainly evident in their denouncement of democracy for the state. The views of Socrates expressed and written by his pupil Plato are vastly philosophical in nature and he promotes the idea of questioning life to achieve insight. The philosophers who possess the absolute truth are the best equipped to rule society according to Plato and his Allegory of the Cave. Conversely, Aristotle takes a more political science approach of discussing and analyzing various constitutions to determine the best form of government, where the rational beings in a society are the natural rulers. Aristotle promotes the idea of rule based on law rather than simple superiority. The differences in these beliefs are important because of the implications of Aristotle’s writings, which provide a way for citizens and statesmen to utilize philosophy in politics and the state. Consequently, information in Politics is seen again throughout modern politics.
The similarities of Aristotle’s beliefs expressed through his writings in Politics to the beliefs of Plato and Socrates expressed in the recorded dialogues of The Republic are centered mainly on a fear of democracy. Aristotle asserts that only those who are concerned with virtue and good government should be the leaders in a society or community (CP 325). In Book III of Politics Aristotle describes what...